The latest National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) shows that one of every four American homes (24.5%) had only
wireless telephones during the last half of 2009-an increase of 1.8
percentage points since the first half of 2009
Landline use in on the decrease with wireless users, one of
every seven American homes (14.9%) had a landline yet received all or
almost all calls on wireless telephones.
Men, roomaters, renters, Hispanics, empoverished, and younger adults
tended more towards wireless usage.
- More than three in five
adults living only with unrelated adult
roommates (62.9%) were in households with only wireless telephones. This
is the highest prevalence rate among the population subgroups examined.
- More
than two in five adults renting their home (43.1%) had only
wireless telephones. Adults renting their home were more likely than
adults owning their home (14.0%) to be living in households with only
wireless telephones. - Nearly half of adults aged 25-29 years
(48.6%) lived in households
with only wireless telephones. More than one-third of adults aged 18-24
or 30-34 (37.8% and 37.2%, respectively) lived in households with only
wireless telephones. - As age increased from 35 years, the
percentage of adults living in
households with only wireless telephones decreased: 23.9% for adults
aged 35-44; 14.9% for adults aged 45-64; and 5.2% for adults aged 65 and
over. The the percentage of wireless-only adults within each age group has
increased over time. - Men (24.5%) were more likely than women
(21.3%) to be living in
households with only wireless telephones. - Adults living in
poverty (36.3%) and adults living near poverty
(29.0%) were more likely than higher income adults (19.6%) to be living
in households with only wireless telephones. - Adults living in
the Midwest (25.6%), South (25.4%), and West
(22.2%) were more likely than adults living in the Northeast (15.1%) to
be living in households with only wireless telephones. - Hispanic
adults (30.4%) were more likely than non-Hispanic white
adults (21.0%) or non-Hispanic black adults (25.0%) to be living in
households with only wireless telephones.
Other groups that are growing wireless are women, over-thirty, and adults with children.
- The proportion of women among all wireless-only adults increased
from approximately 46% to 48.2%. - Among all wireless-only adults, the proportion of adults aged 30
years and over has steadily increased. In the last 6 months of 2009, the
majority of wireless-only adults (59.2%) were aged 30 and over, up from
48.4% in the first 6 months of 2006. - The proportion of employed adults among all wireless-only adults
has decreased from 78.6% to 69.1%. Over the same time period, the
proportion of adults with an employment status other than working,
keeping house, or going to school increased. These adults (largely
unemployed or retired) made up 20.2% of wireless-only adults in the last
6 months of 2009, up from 10.3% in the first 6 months of 2006. - Among all wireless-only adults, the proportion of adults living
with children has steadily increased. In the last 6 months of 2009,
40.0% of wireless-only adults were living with children, up from 34.6%
in the first 6 months of 2006.
Table 3c. Percent distribution of sex, by date of interview, for adults
aged 18 years and over living in wireless-only households: United
States, January 2006-December 2009
| Calendar half-year | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Jun 2006 | Jul-Dec 2006 | Jan-Jun 20071 | Jul-Dec 20071 | Jan-Jun 2008 | Jul-Dec 2008 | Jan-Jun 2009 | Jul-Dec 2009 | 95% confidence interval2 | |
| Sex | Percent distribution | ||||||||
| Male | 54.1 | 53.9 | 52.9 | 53.0 | 53.7 | 52.4 | 51.4 | 51.8 | 50.91-52.67 |
| Female | 45.9 | 46.1 | 47.1 | 47.0 | 46.3 | 47.6 | 48.6 | 48.2 | 47.33-49.09 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
Regarding Health Concerns:
- The prevalence of binge drinking (i.e., having five or more
alcoholic drinks in 1 day during the past year) among wireless-only
adults (34.5%) was nearly twice as high as the prevalence among adults
living in landline households (18.7%). Wireless-only adults were also
more likely to be current smokers than were adults living in landline
households. - Compared with adults living in landline households, wireless-only
adults were more likely to report that their health status was excellent
or very good, more likely to experience serious psychological distress,
and less likely to have ever been diagnosed with diabetes. - The percentage without health insurance coverage at the time of
interview among wireless-only adults under 65 years of age (29.2%) was
more than twice as high as the percentage among adults in that age group
living in landline households (13.8%). - Compared with adults living in landline households, wireless-only
adults were more likely to have experienced financial barriers to
obtaining needed health care, and they were less likely to have a usual
place to go for medical care. Wireless-only adults were also less likely
to have received an influenza vaccination during the previous year. - Wireless-only adults (50.6%) were more likely than adults living
in landline households (36.1%) to have ever been tested for human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.